Posted by John McHaleCANNES, France, 27 June 2011. Officials at Thales Alenia Space and the European Space Agency (ESA) joined hands to produce an atmospheric reentry demonstrator IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle) and its complimentary ground segment. The signature of the contract is expected by the end of this month.The space vehicle project's goal is to develop an autonomous European atmospheric reentry system along with a high-performance control system based on propulsion vectoring and aerodynamic surfaces. It will also have advanced thermal protection systems for atmospheric reentry. IXV project passed its system Critical Design Review (CDR) earlier this year and the agreement between Thales and the ESA prepares the start of the final development and integration phase. Thales Alenia Space will handle the design, development, and integration as head of a consortium from European industry, research centers, and universities. ESA will receive delivery of the vehicle in 2013 for a launch on the Vega rocket."We see IXV as the precursor to a series of vehicles that will be used for solar system exploration and space transportation applications," says Luigi Maria Quaglino, Thales Alenia Space senior vice president for space infrastructures and transportation.
